The travel experience has certainly changed a lot in the past few months. As Chief Digital Officer at United Airlines, I have seen firsthand how technology can improve the travel experience for you, our loyal customers, and support our purpose at United of “Connecting People. Uniting the World.”
In pursuit of that mission, we want to ensure that when you choose to fly United, you do so confidently, knowing your health and safety is our number one priority. As your personal travel needs shift along with the rapid changes of COVID-19, we continue to be nimble, acting quickly to implement digital offerings that are important and relevant to how you travel today.
An Enhanced App
First, we are enhancing your travel journey by creating a seamless, touchless experience, especially if you use our mobile app. Second, in order to ensure you feel informed every step of the way, we are adapting not only the frequency of our communication with you but also the ways in which we connect—specifically when it comes to your mobile device.
That is why we recently debuted our enhanced United app—providing an improved customer experience that empowers you with more ability to self-serve and stay informed. We have refined our app to deliver information to you even easier than before, whether you’re logged into your MileagePlus account or not—but if you are logged in, check out the newly redesigned “My account” section! You can even chat with our team in our contact centers directly from the app, if you prefer. This update also supports a more inclusive and accessible day-of-travel experience for everyone, especially those who are visually impaired.
New Online Features
In addition to our new app, we have rolled out several new features on united.com, including Shop by Maps—our latest collaboration with Google—and our Destination Travel Guide, both firsts for U.S. airlines. Shop by Maps allows you to explore flights to multiple destinations visually—perfect if you want to travel, are on a budget, and don’t have a location in mind. Our Destination Travel Guide lets you know of any current travel requirements or restrictions, so you can travel safe and secure once you find that perfect place to go.
Our entire team takes pride in finding new ways to make our app an indispensable travel tool, even as travel changes. As we approach the end of the year, it is our hope that these new tools help give you the confidence to travel safely, whether it is to visit family over the holidays or to conduct business face to face with one of your important customers.
Linda Jojo is Executive Vice President Technology and Chief Digital Officer at United Airlines.